The Human Rights Campaign issued a statement Wednesday commending Alabama's Nick Saban and Auburn's Gus Malzahn for their stances on a gay player joining the football teams at either school.

Both coaches have recently been asked multiple questions on the topic, a hot-button issue after former Missouri defensive end Michael Sam, the SEC Player of the Year, came out in February. Earlier this month, Sam was drafted in the seventh round by the St. Louis Rams.

"At the end of the day all that matters on the playing field is performance. The fact that these two coaches will give gay athletes a fair shot at success is testament to their character and their leadership skills as coaches," HRC Project One America director Brad Clark said in a press release.

Project One America is a multi-year, $8.5 million campaign launched earlier this month by the HRC in support of gay rights in Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas.